The Armed Forces of Nigeria have stepped up operations against crude oil theft and insecurity, dismantling four illegal refining sites and arresting suspected oil thieves in Delta and Cross River states.
The military also recovered arms and narcotics, including methamphetamine estimated at over ₦5 million, during coordinated nationwide offensives carried out between February 13 and 19, 2026.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this in a statement, noting that the operations were intelligence-driven and focused on disrupting terrorist networks, pipeline vandals, and other criminal elements threatening national security.
According to him, troops seized automatic rifles, machine guns, Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) tubes, improvised explosive device materials, locally fabricated firearms, as well as large quantities of ammunition.
South-East Operations
Under Operation UDO KA, troops conducted raids in Ebonyi and Imo states, where suspected terrorists were arrested and their camps destroyed. Several members of the proscribed IPOB/ESN were neutralised during gun battles with security forces.
In the North-East, Operation HADIN KAI intensified pressure on Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters across Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. Security forces neutralised scores of insurgents, arrested seven suspects and rescued three kidnapped victims.
Troops also intercepted five individuals transporting ₦37 million along the Maiduguri–Magumeri route, with investigations ongoing to verify the source of the funds. In a separate raid in Madagali, Adamawa State, one suspect was apprehended with two drones and 20 solar power banks suspected to be used for terrorist logistics.
Operation FANSAN YAMMA in the North-West led to the arrest of nine suspected terrorists and the rescue of 26 kidnapped victims across Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi and Sokoto states. Recovered items included weapons, stolen vehicles and rustled livestock.
Meanwhile, the Zamfara State Government donated 25 Armoured Personnel Carriers to strengthen ongoing security operations in the region.
In the North-Central, troops under Operations SAVANNAH SHIELD, ENDURING PEACE and WHIRL STROKE recorded arrests of suspected terrorists, rescue of abducted victims and recovery of weapons across Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Benue, Taraba, Kogi and Nasarawa states. Among those arrested was the wife of a wanted terrorist leader, whose detention is expected to yield critical intelligence.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, commended troops for maintaining sustained offensives nationwide and urged Nigerians to provide credible information through the military’s emergency toll-free line, 193.
The Defence Headquarters reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and sustaining pressure on terrorist and criminal elements across all regions.